One humpback mugs us for nearly an hour and it was special!

Image: a humpback whale mugs the Condor Express and sprays its fans.

2023 08-15 SB Channel - West

Captain Devin and the crew of the Condor Express ran to the far west again today. Skies were overcast, but seas were calm and winds were light. Sightings included: 1 humpback whale and 1500 long-beaked common dolphins. These totals do not tell the whole story, please read on…

Just ½ mile off Leadbetter we encountered our first dolphins. There were small pods scattered over the area and we had some great looks to get the trip log started.

The majority of the action was 7 or 8 miles south of Naples Reef in the western Channel area. Here we spent just under an hour with a single, small adult, humpback whale. This individual came to the Condor Express immediately and proceeded to mug us on all sides the whole time we were on station. It also let out some loud trumpet vocalizations and, on several occasions, came so close to our hull that passengers got wet from its spout spray. A “kiss” for its fans! (See today’s photo for an example of this behavior).

On the way home we encountered a mega pod of dolphins with at least 1000 animals.

You never know what Mother Nature has in store.

Bob Perry

Condor Express, and

CondorExpressPhotos.com